What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Revelations 1?
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his slaves the things which must take place in a short time, and communicated it by sending it through his angel to his slave John, who testified about the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, all that he saw."
The church are the slaves of God. Bought and paid for with the blood of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. It's a loaded word, full of baggage in our culture but it's true none the less. As Hosea bought back his own wife, Gomer, so Christ has bought us when we were far from him. When we were enemies to him. When indeed, we were as good as dead, slaves of the world, our own flesh and sin, and the devil himself, prisoners and chattel under a cruel master who was killing us, Christ came and took our place, bought us at the expense of his own life and we went free! And our freedom is to serve in love a new master, a new husband who gives us his own inheritance and feeds us from his hand. Our obedience isn't forced. Our goodness and good deeds and generosity aren't to earn anything. We've already been given everything! We obey in thankfulness. We forgive as we've been forgiven. We share what we have in abundance. The chains we wear now are the weightless chains of love to a Master who has already showed His love for us. Thanks be to God!
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 04, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
What is the church? A Testimony.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 22 still?
"And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where I will tell you.” And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes..."
Those whom God calls and those who hear and obey and suffer for it and serve when and where and how they are called, will be a testimony to Christ. Their very lives, their very suffering will point to the suffering of Christ! This makes perfect sense. The church are those given the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is always testifying about Christ. How could we not? Abraham's call to sacrifice. Isaac's call to be the sacrifice. Three days of thinking Isaac as good as dead. Abraham is being invited to know God in ways we could never know him just by reading about him.
"If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 12
The church are those who's suffering, who's prosperity, who's very lives are a living testimony to Jesus Christ who's life, death and resurrection are a testimony to the Father.
"And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where I will tell you.” And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes..."
Those whom God calls and those who hear and obey and suffer for it and serve when and where and how they are called, will be a testimony to Christ. Their very lives, their very suffering will point to the suffering of Christ! This makes perfect sense. The church are those given the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is always testifying about Christ. How could we not? Abraham's call to sacrifice. Isaac's call to be the sacrifice. Three days of thinking Isaac as good as dead. Abraham is being invited to know God in ways we could never know him just by reading about him.
"If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 12
The church are those who's suffering, who's prosperity, who's very lives are a living testimony to Jesus Christ who's life, death and resurrection are a testimony to the Father.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
What is the church? Glorified and glorifying.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 22?
" And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where[a] I will tell you.” And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him."
We touched on it yesterday. But look, what do you see? When God told Abe he was going to destroy a wicked city or four, Abe had the temerity to argue with God. To talk him down, to bargain for the lives of people he did not know. When God told Abe he was going to be a father some day, Abe asked how it could be and even took matters into his own hands with one of his servants. But here, Abe has matured enough to know that this is a time to just listen and do. He knows this God. He has been through deep waters with Him. He loves and trusts and fears Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified."
When we do these things, when the church hears and obeys, God always moves them into the best position to see the good He has planned, to conform us not to the pattern of this world, but Jesus Christ, the visible Glory of God.
"Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”" John 11
" And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where[a] I will tell you.” And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him."
We touched on it yesterday. But look, what do you see? When God told Abe he was going to destroy a wicked city or four, Abe had the temerity to argue with God. To talk him down, to bargain for the lives of people he did not know. When God told Abe he was going to be a father some day, Abe asked how it could be and even took matters into his own hands with one of his servants. But here, Abe has matured enough to know that this is a time to just listen and do. He knows this God. He has been through deep waters with Him. He loves and trusts and fears Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified."
When we do these things, when the church hears and obeys, God always moves them into the best position to see the good He has planned, to conform us not to the pattern of this world, but Jesus Christ, the visible Glory of God.
"Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”" John 11
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